Cajun Swagger at Catahoula

It isn’t perfect but Catahoula takes Craig LaBan back to his Times Picayune days.

[W]hen I put a spoon into Martin’s return-to-roots bowl of chicken-and-andouille gumbo at Catahoula, it flipped lights on my taste buds that hadn’t been lit since my own Louisiana days. The broth is darker than most northern cooks would ever dream of serving, a deep mahogany-red hue that comes from slow-roasting roux to the color of chocolate. And the darkness channels a roasty, nutty depth, allowing the earthy savor of smoked meat, tender chicken, and a prickly cayenne heat to rise through the murk like a bloom on the Bayou Teche.

A bowl of this gumbo alone is worth the visit to Catahoula, the new Queen Village gastropub named for Louisiana’s state dog.

Two Bells – Very Good

Catahoula [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Catahoula [Official Site]